In the one year since launch, NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer has captured dazzling images of the universe, including this view of M81 and M82, galaxies 10 million light-years away. The great spiral of M81, similar in size and brightness to our Milky Way, is in the lower half of the image. The upper half shows M82. Star formation is so violent in this galaxy (viewed from its side) that gas and dust are being expelled perpendicular to its disc.

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http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05979

+ Galaxy Evolution Explorer home page

http://www.galex.caltech.edu

+ JPL home page

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov